When you get to your healthy target weight, what’s the best way to maintain it?
Should you increase your calorie intake all at once or by so many calories each
day?

While some successful slimmers prefer to immediately increase their calorie
intake, others prefer to do it in steps. In many ways, this is a good idea as it
helps you to concentrate on getting your extra calories by gradually increasing
the portion sizes of the foods you’re already eating rather than suddenly adding
in chocolate, crisps, booze and takeaways. I recommend this five-step plan to
maintain your new healthier weight

Five Step Plan

Step 1

Once you reach target, add 250 calories a day to your existing daily calorie
intake. This means if you’ve been having 1,250 calories each day, you should now
have 1,500 calories a day.

Step 2

After a week, weigh yourself on your usual scales. You’ll probably have lost a
little more weight. If so, add another 250 calories to last week’s daily
allowance. So, if you were having 1,500 calories a day, now have 1,750 calories
daily.

Step 3

After a week, weigh yourself again. If you’ve lost more weight, add an extra 250
calories to your daily intake, for example from 1,750 calories to 2,000 calories
each day.

Step 4

After a week, if your weight has stabilised that’s the amount of calories you
need each day to keep your new slim shape. If you’ve gained a tiny amount, drop
your daily calorie intake by 100 calories, for example, from 2,000 calories to
1,900 calories daily. After a week, weigh yourself again. If your weight has
stayed the same, that’s the amount of calories you need each day for weight
maintenance. If your weight has gone up or down, juggle your daily calorie
intake by 50 calories a day until your weight eventually stabilises.

Step 5

Weigh yourself once a week on your usual scales until you are confident that
you’re maintaining your healthy weight.